- Feb 5, 2002
- 166,214
- 55,964
- Country
- United States
- Faith
- Catholic
- Marital Status
- Married
- Politics
- US-Others
Happy Friday friends,
I’ve been, as you know, in Rome this week. I’m writing this mid-flight.
JD suggested that I give myself the week off and just pack the newsletter with tourist pictures, but I didn't take any this trip. It’s been something of a flying visit, unfortunately — more of an Italian Job than a Roman Holiday. There are, at last count, at least half a dozen friends I didn't get to see this time around, and I am deeply sorry about that.
If I wasn’t following on from a previous trip to Denver last week and we weren’t riding right up against the USCCB meeting on Monday, I’d have stayed longer. I’ll be back in the New Year for a proper visit, I promise.
A few readers planning trips to Rome emailed me this week asking for food recommendations, though I am not sure what makes me an expert. And I did manage to get in a few decent meals while I was here — one old friend took me to a hole-in-the-wall Eritrean place which was an unexpectedly excellent answer to jet lag.
In general, I only really have three rules for Roman dining. Number one is obvious: ordering pizza in Rome is a waste of a meal. I’m not saying you can’t find a good pizza in the city. I’m just saying it’s a waste.
The second is that I judge every trattoria by its tripe. Roman tripe is a thing. Not everyone likes it, including Romans, and if done badly it is like eating chopped tube socks. But done well, it’s a testament to the magic a properly good chef can work — and trippa alla romana is a hell of a trick to be able to pull off.
Finally, if you’re picking a restaurant blind, you can usually (not always) pick a relative winner by their name using this formula: female name (Costanza) > male name (da Enzo) > family member (Grandma’s) > place/generic name.
Never, ever, eat at a place named after something a tourist might be tempted to photograph. Trattoria colosseo? Just go to McDonald’s.
The News
The scandal of Cardinal Jean-Pierre Ricard continued to unfold this week.
Continued below.
Roman rules, cardinals in court, and holiday snaps
I’ve been, as you know, in Rome this week. I’m writing this mid-flight.
JD suggested that I give myself the week off and just pack the newsletter with tourist pictures, but I didn't take any this trip. It’s been something of a flying visit, unfortunately — more of an Italian Job than a Roman Holiday. There are, at last count, at least half a dozen friends I didn't get to see this time around, and I am deeply sorry about that.
If I wasn’t following on from a previous trip to Denver last week and we weren’t riding right up against the USCCB meeting on Monday, I’d have stayed longer. I’ll be back in the New Year for a proper visit, I promise.
A few readers planning trips to Rome emailed me this week asking for food recommendations, though I am not sure what makes me an expert. And I did manage to get in a few decent meals while I was here — one old friend took me to a hole-in-the-wall Eritrean place which was an unexpectedly excellent answer to jet lag.
In general, I only really have three rules for Roman dining. Number one is obvious: ordering pizza in Rome is a waste of a meal. I’m not saying you can’t find a good pizza in the city. I’m just saying it’s a waste.
The second is that I judge every trattoria by its tripe. Roman tripe is a thing. Not everyone likes it, including Romans, and if done badly it is like eating chopped tube socks. But done well, it’s a testament to the magic a properly good chef can work — and trippa alla romana is a hell of a trick to be able to pull off.
Finally, if you’re picking a restaurant blind, you can usually (not always) pick a relative winner by their name using this formula: female name (Costanza) > male name (da Enzo) > family member (Grandma’s) > place/generic name.
Never, ever, eat at a place named after something a tourist might be tempted to photograph. Trattoria colosseo? Just go to McDonald’s.
The News
The scandal of Cardinal Jean-Pierre Ricard continued to unfold this week.
Continued below.
Roman rules, cardinals in court, and holiday snaps
